Can opener



April 14, 1925. 1,533,599

F. B. LA MAY 0AM OPENER Filed June z4. 24

| 2 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY Patna 'Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATEN or-rice.

FRANK 28. LA HAY, or nocmis'rnn, NEW YORK, Assrenoa *150 LA. KAY-SMITH- WALKER, me, or aocnrsrrna, new YORK.

' CAN OPENER.

App1ication filed June 24, Serial Km 722,010.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. LA M Y, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester,in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

' The present invention relates to can openers'of the type employing a rotary cutter operating in such manner as to sever an end from a can by cutting through the side wall in a plane adjacent and parallel to the end seam, an objectof the invention belng 'to provide a device of this character that s \5 of simple, strong, and inexpensive construction, eifective in its operation and not liable to get out of order.

Another object of the invention is to so support the cutter that it may be readily removed and cleaned without having to clean the entire device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a one piece frame which comprises a base and an overhanging arm forming a mounting for the operating mechanism and a housing for the cutter and gears.

A further object of the invention isby a novel frame construction to guard against any possible injury to a person operating .or otherwise handling the device.

And, a still further object of the invention is to provide for a plurality ofways in which the frame member may be secured to -a support.

To these and other ends the invention consists' of certain parts and combinations of parts as will be fully set forth in the following description andparticularly define in theappen ed claims.

' The accompanying drawings illustrating the invention are as follows Figure 1 is a top plan view of the can opener secured upon a suppo F'g. 2 is a side view of the device showing. a can as supported when being opened. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

. Fig. 4 is-a vertical sectional view through the cutter and parts carried on the cutte stud, the stud being shown in full.

And, Fig. 5.is a sectional detail on the line 5-5, F g. 2, with the clamp removed.

'lar. parts throughout the several views.

portion of the clamp and hold it against 7 gear, lying against the under face of the arm Similar reference numerals refer to simi- The operating mechanism is mounted upon a suitable supporting frame which, in this instance, comprises a plate having a return bend 1 intermediate its ends to form a base 2 and a forwardly and, preferably, slightly upwardly inclined arm 3. The base, portion 2 may be secured upon a support 4' by means of screws 5, see Fig. 5,

.which engage through openings 6 in the base, or by means of a clamp 7 which car-' ries an adjustable clampingscrew 8 and is formed at its upper end with an inwardly turned arm 9 resting upon and removably secured to the base by a. screw 10, the-base 2 being recessed at 11 to receive the vertical' turning when the apparatus is disconnected from a support. It will be observed that 1n the event the support 4.- is not provided with an overhanging ledge so as to permit the use of the clamp, the latter may be removed and the base 2 secured to the support by the screws 5. l

Rotatably mounted in the arm 3 adjacent the outer end thereof is a stud 12 to the upper end of which is secured the inner end of an operating crank 13, having a handle 14 at its outer end, while fixed to the inner end of the stud is a comparatively thin spur gear 15 and a knurled friction roller 16, the

and the roller being formed with a reduced portion'17 whereby the knurled portion is spaced from the gea v The gear 15 meshes with a similar gear 18 fixed to a stud 19 rotatably mounted'in the arm 3 and in the short inner end 20 of a lever 21 which is pivotally mounted at 22 to swing in a plane parallel to the arm 3. Alsofixed to this stud '19 is a cutter disc 23 spaced from the gear 18 by a collar 24 and having its. cutting edge in a plane slightly. below the friction roller 16. Swinging the lever 21 causes the cutter tobe swung into or-out of-operative osition, the stud moving through an archia .slot 25 100 in the arm 3, and a latch 26 also pivoted at latch being formed at its free'jend with. a. 1

the clamp 7 or screws 5, the latterbeing used in the event of the clamp not being'employed. The cutter 23 is swung to inophand under the can. while erative position away from the friction roller 16 by movement of the lever 21. The can, indicated in dotted lines at 30, and having an end 31 to be severed, isplaced in, position as shown with the friction roller 16 engaging theinner face of the flange 32 of the can. The lever '21 is then swung to throw the cutter into operative position,"

that is with the centers 12,19 and 22 in alignment, and in moving to such position it cuts through the side wall of the can justunder thecnd wall 31. The can is thus supported upon the cutter and held in place by the friction roller 16. It is also held at a slight angle from the vertical due to the' upward inclination of the supporting arm 3, the purpose of this being to reduce the overhang of the. arm 3 to a minimum and yet have the can clear the support 4 and the clamp 7. Rotation of the operating crank 13 and the consequent rotation of the knurled friction roller 16 and cutter 23 causes the roller to act as a feed wheel and effect rotation of the can with the result that the end of the can is severed by the side wall being cut in a plane just under such end. -The operative of course holds one operating the. crank 13 with the other. After tgiening a can the severed end is removed rom the opener by swinging the lever 21 to move the cutter to its inoperative position. The latch 26 by engaging the finger piece 33 thereon may then be disengaged. from the stud 19 and the latter with. car, collar and -'cutter removed, cleane and replaced without having to clean the entire apparatus.

Aside from the removable feature of the cutter and the simplicity of construction of the can 0 ner, it will be-observed thatithe cutter an gears are on the under side of the supporting arm 3 and that the latter acts 'as a housing and guard to prevent in jury to the operative while opening a can or otherwise handling the device.

What I claim is:

1. In a can opener, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, a stud rotatably mounted in one arm of the lever, a disc cutter fixed to said stud and means for releasably holding the stud in said lever and axial movement.

2. In a can opener, a support having a slot therethrough, a lever ivoted intermediate its ends, a stud rotata ly mounted in one a gear and a disc cutter fixed arm'of the lever and movable'in said slot on operation of the lever, a disc cutter fixed to said stud, and a pivoted latch slotted to receive a reduced portion of said stud and adapted'to releasably hold the stud against axial movement.

3. In a can opener, a supporthaving a slot therethrough, a lever and a latch mov able over the face of the lever, both such members having a "common .pivotal connection to said support and intermediate the ends of thelever, a stud extending through said slot and rotatably mounted in one arm -of said lever, and a cutter on said stud,

said latch being slotted to engage a reduced portion of said stud and releasably hold the latter against axial movement.

4. In a can opener, a frame' including a base having a recess in itsouter edge, and

a clamp comprising a vertical portlon engaging in said recess, an adjustable clamp:

ing, screw, and a lateral arm extendin m wardly from said vertical portion an detachably secured upon the top of said base. 5. In a can opener, a frame formed of a plate having a return bend intermediate its ends to'form a base and a supporting arm,

means for securing the baseto a support, and operating mechanism mounted upon said arm."

6. In a can opener, a frame formed of a plate having a return bend intermediate its ends to form a base and a supporting arm,

means for securing the base to a support,

and operating mechanism mounted upon said arm'being inclined upwardly for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, in a canopener, of

a support having a slot therethrough, a stud rotatabl mounted in the support, a er and a iction roller fixed to the stud in spaced relation and under the support, an

operating crank fixed to said stud above the support, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to'the support, a second stud rotatably mounted in one arm of said lever and movable in said slot, a gear and a disc cutter fixed to said second named stud, both said gears intermeshing andthe cutter lying below t e plane of said friction roller, and means or releasably holding said second named tud against axial movement.

8. The combination, ina can opener, of

a support comprising a plate having a return bend intermediate its ends to form a base and a supporting arm, the latter hav-- ing a slot therethrough, a stud rotatably a gear and a friction roller fixed to said stud in spaced mounted in the supporting arm,

relation and under said arm, an operating crank fixed to said stud above said arm, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to said arm, a second stud rotatably mounted in one arm of said lever and movable in said slot,

sec-

0nd named stud, both said gears intermeshing and the cutter lying below the plane of said friction roller, and a pivoted latch mounted on the face of said lever and slotted to engage a reduced portion of said second named stud and releasably hold the latter against axial movement.

9. The combination, in a can opener, of two rotatably mounted studs, a driving connection between the two studs, an operating crank. fixed to one of the studs, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends and in one arm of which one of said studs is mounted, a disc cutter fixed to such lever stud and a friction roller fixed to the other of said studs, said lever being. operable to swing said outter into and out of operative position with respect to said friction roller.

10., The combination, in a can opener, of

,two rotatably mounted studs, a driving connection between the two studs, an operating crank fixed to one of the studs, a'lever pivoted intermediate its ends and in one arm of which one of said studs is mounted, a

in lace.

p FRANK B. LA MAY. 

